JOURNAL

Tuesday, 3 December 2024

3rd meeting

Ministerial Round Table: Unlocking public and private finance for Land Restoration and Drought Resistance.

Round table 2 was co-chaired by His Excellency Aziz Abdukhakimov (Minister of Ecology, Environmental Protection and Climate Change of Uzbekistan) and His Excellency Pasi Hellman (Under-Secretary of State for Development Policy in Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Finland). 

Welcome remarks were delivered by Mr. Ibrahim Thiaw (Executive Secretary of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification).

Remarks were also delivered by His Excellency Muhammad Al Jasser (President of the Islamic Development Bank) (also on behalf of the Arab Coordination Group), Mr. Abdulhamid Alkhalifa (President of the OPEC Fund for International Development), Mr. Achim Steiner (Administrator of the United Nations Development Programme), Mr. Mahmoud Mohieldin (United Nations Special Envoy for Financing the 2030 Agenda), Mr. Simon Stiell (Executive Secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change), Ms. Astrid Schomaker (Executive Secretary of the Convention on Biological Diversity), Ms. Gelsomina Vigliotti (Vice President of the European Investment Bank) and Ms. Valerie Hickey (Director at the World Bank).

A presentation was made by His Excellency Khalid A. Al-Falih, Minister of Investment of Saudi Arabia. 

4th meeting

Ministerial Dialogue: Impacts of Land Degradation and Drought on Forced Migration, Security and Prosperity 

Round table 3 was co-chaired by His Excellency Adrian Forde (Minister of Environment, Green and Blue Economy of Barbados) and His Excellency Hugo Morán Fernández (Secretary of State for the Environment of Spain).

Introductory remarks were delivered by Mr. Ibrahim Thiaw (Executive Secretary of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification) and by Mr. Baaba Maal. 

Remarks were also delivered by His Excellency Carlos Alvarado Quesada (former President of Costa Rica) and Ms. Ugochi Daniels (Deputy Director General for Operations of the International Organization for Migration).

Closing of the high-level segment

The Conference heard statements by the Co-Chairs of each the three ministerial dialogues.

The President made a statement.

The Conference was informed that the Riyadh Ministerial Declaration would be annexed to the report of the Conference.

The Executive Secretary of the UNCCD secretariat made a statement.

The meeting was adjourned.

Tuesday, 3 December 2024

1st meeting 

Opening of the twenty-second session of the Committee for the Review of the Implementation of the Convention

The Chair opened the session and made a statement. 

The Deputy Executive Secretary of the UNCCD secretariat made a statement. 

Statements were made by the following representatives: China (on behalf of the Regional Implementation Annex for Asia (Annex II)), Angola (on behalf of the Regional Implementation Annex for Africa (Annex I)), the European Union, Hungary (on behalf of the Regional Implementation Annex for the Northern Mediterranean (Annex IV)), Armenia (on behalf of the Regional Implementation Annex for Central and Eastern Europe (Annex V)) and the State of Palestine (on behalf of the Arab Group).

Statements were also made by the following representatives: Timor-Leste, Brazil, the Marshall Islands, Burundi, Togo, Yemen, Lebanon, Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of), Turkmenistan, Cuba and Bahrain. 

A representative of a civil society organization made a statement on behalf of civil society organizations.

Organizational matters [item 1] 

(a)  Adoption of the agenda and organization of work 

The Committee began its consideration of the item and sub-item.

A representative of the UNCCD secretariat introduced and orally revised the tentative schedule of work, which the Committee adopted.

The consideration of the sub-item was concluded. 

(b)  Election of officers other than the Chair of the Committee for the Review the Implementation of the Convention 

The Committee began its consideration of the sub-item.

The Committee appointed Rodrigo Andrade Ramírez of Chile as Vice-Chair of the Committee.

In line with rule 25 of the rules of procedure of the Conference, the Committee confirmed the appointment by Parties of Mirko Knezevic of Montenegro and of Anait Khurshudyan of Uzbekistan to replace the Chair of Montenegro and the Vice-Chair of Uzbekistan respectively until the end of the twenty-second session.

The Committee agreed to establish a Contact Group and appoint Mr. Alwin Dornelly of Saint Lucia as facilitator.

The Committee concluded this stage of its consideration of agenda item 1 and its sub-item (b).

Effective implementation of the Convention at national, subregional and regional levels [item 2] 

(c)  Performance of Convention institutions and subsidiary bodies 

(b)  Multi-year workplan for Convention institutions and subsidiary bodies 

A representative of the UNCCD secretariat introduced the relevant reports.

(a)  Review of the report of the Committee for the Review of the Implementation of the Convention on its twenty-first session     

The Rapporteur introduced the report.

A representative of civil society made a statement on behalf of civil society organizations.

The Committee concluded this stage of its consideration of agenda item agenda item 2 and its sub-items (a) to (c).

The meeting was adjourned.

Tuesday, 3 December 2024

1st meeting

Opening of the fifteenth session of the Committee on Science and Technology (CST 16)   

The sixteenth session of the Committee on Science and Technology was opened by Mr. Hector Manuel Arias Rojo, Chair of the Committee on Science and Technology, who delivered his opening statement.   

A statement was made by Ms. Andrea Meza Murillo, Deputy Executive Secretary of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification.  

Statements were made by the representatives of Egypt (on behalf of the Regional Implementation Annex for Africa (Annex I), Hungary (on behalf of the Regional Implementation Annex for Northern Mediterranean (Annex IV)), the Islamic Republic of Iran (on behalf of the Asia-Pacific Group), Bosnia and Herzegovina (on behalf of the Regional Implementation Annex for Central and Eastern Europe (Annex V)).

Statements were also made by the representatives of the Syrian Arab Republic, the United States of America and the Dominican Republic.  

A statement was also made by the representative of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). 

A statement was also made by a representative of civil society.  

Organizational matters [item 1] 

Adoption of the agenda and organization of work [item 1 (a)]   

The Committee began its consideration of the item and adopted its provisional agenda and schedule of work as orally amended.   

Election of officers other than the Chair of the CST- Appointment of the Rapporteur of the Committee [item 1 (b)]   

The Committee appointed Ms. Nana Bolashvili of Georgia as CST Vice-Chair in replacement of Mr. Hamid Čustović of Bosnia and Herzegovina.  

The Committee appointed Mr. Ahmed Abdelati Ahmed Ali of Egypt as Rapporteur of CST 16.   

Establishment of Contact Groups and appointment of Facilitators  

The Committee established a contact group and appointed Mr. Joseph Noel of Grenada as facilitator of the contact group.  

Items resulting from the work programme of the Science-Policy Interface for the biennium 2020 – 2024: Evidence on sustainable land use systems and their potential to address desertification/land desegregation and drought [item 2 (a)]  

The Committee began its consideration of the item. The UNCCD secretariat introduced the agenda sub-item. An interactive dialogue was moderated by a Co-Chair of the Science-Policy Interface (SPI). Co-Leads delivered their presentations.   

Comments were made by representatives of Algeria, the European Union, Japan and the Russian Federation. 

A statement was also made by the representative of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). 

The SPI members and the UNCCD secretariat responded to questions from the floor.  

Items resulting from the work programme of the Science-Policy Interface for the biennium 2020 – 2021: Evidence on historical global and regional aridity trends and future projections that may contribute to expanding drylands and affected populations and the adaptation approaches [item 2 (b)]  

The UNCCD secretariat introduced the agenda sub-item. An interactive dialogue was moderated by a Co-Chair of the Science-Policy Interface (SPI). Co-Leads delivered their presentations.   

Comments were made by representatives of the European Union, Switzerland, Morocco and Lesotho.  

A statement was also made by the representative of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). 

The SPI Co-Leads responded to questions from the floor.  

The meeting was adjourned.  

Registration for delegations of country Parties, United Nations organisations, intergovernmental and non-governmental organisations, side event participants, media and other participants will take place as follows:

Any changes to the opening hours of the registration desk will be communicated in the Official Journal of the session.

Identity badges will be issued at the time of registration, and participants are requested to wear them at all times, as they will not be allowed access to the session venue without presenting them.

Delegations are advised to contact Ms. Aphrodite Smagadi (00966 568701092) and Mr. Stadler Trengove (00966 568682169), AREA B, Office n^o 11 – Legal Office as soon as possible.

Delegations are advised that wireless internet access is available throughout the venue. The network name is COP16 Public, and no password is required.

A Computer Center is located in Area-C, providing 100 workstations and printing facilities. An ICT Helpdesk counter is also available in the same area to assist with technical support.

A link to the stream of the meetings of the COP 16 session can be found on the UN Web TV website, the COP 16 page of the UNCCD website.

The Daily Subsistence Allowance (DSA) for eligible participants will be distributed from 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM. Please ensure you collect your allowance during these hours at the DSA room, which is located in Area C.

The Lost and Found service is located near the Registration area, offering convenient access near the Main Entrance.

All journalists must be accredited to attend. Accreditation can be completed through the Online Registration System (ORS). Additional information, including the full agenda and session details, is available on the COP16 website.

For inquiries, contact press [at] unccd.int (press[at]unccd[dot]int)

Medical services will be provided throughout the event by qualified healthcare professionals, ensuring that assistance is readily available. The Medical Care Center is located near the Registration area, close to the Main Entrance.

Emergency Response:

• Immediate Action: Medical vehicles will be stationed on-site to ensure a rapid response in case of emergencies.
• Coordination with Local Services: Collaboration with local emergency teams will be ensured to manage serious medical situations effectively.
• Health and Safety Standards: All procedures will adhere to the most current guidelines from the World Health Organization (WHO) and local health authorities.
• Ambulance Placement: Ambulances will be strategically located at key areas, including the Blue Zone and VIP sections, to ensure quick access to medical care.

You can find a list of Emergency Contact Numbers here. 

The KSA Emergency number is 112 (reachable without a SIM card). 

Requests for inclusion in the schedule of meetings of regional and interest groups should be communicated to:

Kayhan UI (kul [at] unccd.int (kul[at]unccd[dot]int) ; phone: 00966-544050235) or Mahamadou Tari Bako (mbako [at] unccd.int (mbako[at]unccd[dot]int) ; phone: 00966-568723965).

The ceremony of Prince Talal International Prize for Human Development will be held at Four Seasons Hotel Riyadh on December 5th, 2024. Participation of COP delegates is by invitation only. 

To facilitate seamless transportation during COP 16, a dedicated shuttle service has been arranged between the conference venue and official hotels.

Use our Interactive Map to explore routes and locations, including shuttle pickup and drop-off points, along with timetables for transportation between hotels, the venue, and the airport. This resource is also available in the app under COP 16 Information.

We encourage participants to use the shuttle service to minimize environmental impact and ease transportation logistics. Thank you for contributing to a sustainable COP 16!

The UNCCD Conference App is an easy tool for participants of official UNCCD events to have access to the latest conference schedules, all official documents and other relevant information related to the UNCCD process and conference logistics. It also provides information on the latest up-to-date schedule of events.

The UNCCD Conference App is relevant for all delegates and other participants of all sessions of the UNCCD Conference of Parties (COP), the Committee of Science and Technology (CST) and the Committee for the Review of the Implementation of the Convention (CRIC).